Weather-strip.



l. W. HENRY.

WEATHER STRIP.

"APPLICATION FILED OCT. I8. 1916.

1 1 5,@j2l Patented Feb. 6,1917.

Witnesses JOHN W. HENRY, OF GRAVIFOBDSVILLE, INDIANA.

WEATHER-STRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented G, 1917.

Application filed October 18, 1916. Serial No. 126,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at (h'awfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful lVeather-Strip, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to weather strips.

The present weather strip is adapted for attachment to the lower end of a door, casement window, or other swinging barrier, and the particular improvement of the present device resides in the assemblage of the spring with the supporting and apron strips, whereby the spring is peculiarly effective for its intended purpose, and is not liable to buckle or crystallize.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination and arrangement of part-s and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of the device as applied with the door closed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the device, a portion thereof being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the device taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the device attached to the door and the apron strip raised.

Fig. 4. is an enlarged cross section of the device taken on the line H of Fig. 2 showing the device attached to the door and with the door in closed position.

The device embodies a horizontal strip 1, preferably constructed of wood, and adapted to be secured by screws to the door D adjacent the lower end thereof. This strip 1 has a lower rear rabbet 2, and a flat apron strip 3 is hinged adjacent one edge to the lower edge of the strip 1, a rubber or equivalent flexible packing strip l being attached to the other edge of the strip 3. The strip 4 is fitted within a doubled plate or strip 5 which is nailed or otherwise secured to the lower surface of the apron strip 3. The packing strip 4 is to provide a perfect closure between the forward edge of the apron strip and the threshold T, to exclude the elements, when tl e door is closed.

In order to hinge the strip 3 in a simple and effective manner to the supporting strip 1, a plurality of depending screw eyes 6 have their shanks threaded into the strip 1 from below adjacent the rabbet 2, the lower edge of the strip l having recesses 7 accommodating the eyes, and corresponding screw eyes 8 have their shanks engaged downwardly through the strip 3, the upper surface of the strip 3 having recesses 9 acconn modating the eyes. The eyes 6 and 8 are intercngaged, thereby providing the hinge between the strips, to allow the strip 3 to swing upwardly into a horizontal position flush with the lower end of the door, and to swing downwardly against the threshold T when the door is closed, as seen in Fig. 4. Nuts 10 are preferably threaded upon the shanks of the screw eyes 8 and are embedded within the lower surface of the strip 3 to securely anchor the eyes 8 to the apron strip. The rear edge of the strip 3 is swingable upwardly in the rabbet 2 when the strip 3 swings downwardly, asseen in Fig. 4.

fin angular cam 11 is secured to that jamb J of the door frame or casing to which the door is latched, whereby the respective end of the apron strip 3 engages the cam 11 when the door is closed, for forcing the apron strip tightly onto the threshold@ When the door is opened, the strip 3 swings upwardly to ride over the threshold T, as seen in 3, and this enables the strip 3 to move above the rug or carpet without disturbing it.

The cardinal feature of the invention rosides in the manner of assembling the straight wire spring 12 with the strips 1 and 3, said torsional wire spring being disposed within the rabbet 2 between the two strips, and having one terminal engaged downwardly through the strip 3 behind the hinge or adjacent the rear edge of said strip, as at 13. The other end of the spring 12 is provided with an upwardly projecting eye or loop 14 disposed snugly within a narrow longitudinal slot 15 with which the strip 1 is provided above the rahbet 2, said slot 15 opening downwardly and being disposed in a vertical plane. The eye 14 in fitting within the slot 15 can slide longitudinally, but cannot rotate, and the opposite end of the spring is also engaged non-rotatably with the strip 3. The strip 1 is provided with a longitudinal elongated recess 16 along the rabbet 2 for accommodating the spring 12, and that end of the spring 12 having the eye sliding movement by a staplel? driven into the strip 1 below the slot 15. The staple 17 thus holds the respective end of the spring 12 in place properly.

When the strip 3 is swung downwardly, this moves the terminal 13 of the spring upwardly, and as a result, a torsional strain will be imposed on the spring 12, it being noted that the other end thereof cannot rotate due to the position of the eye 1 within the slot 15. The torque thus created tends to swing the strip 3 upwardly, so that when the door is opened, the spring will effectively move the strip 3 upwardly out of the way, as seen in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as the spring 12 is slidable through the staple or guide 17 there is no liability for the spring buckling between its ends, and the spring will remain almost straight at all times, thereby enhancing the efficiency and life thereof, the tendency for the metal to crystallize being reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting strip having a rabbet, an apron strip hinged to the supporting strip and having an edge swingable into said .rabbet,

an approximately straight torsional spring disposed withln said rabbet and having one end engaged non-rotatably with the apron strip adjacent said edge thereof, and means carried by the supporting strip for slidably guiding the other terminal of said spring within said rabbet, the last mentioned ter minal of the spring having means engaging Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addre Washington, D. C.

14 is guided for longitudinal.

strip hinged to the 2. In a device of the'character described,

a supporting strip having a rabbet, an apron.

supporting strip and having an edge swingable into said rabbet, an approximately straight torsional spring disposed within said rabbet and having one end engaged non-rotatably with the apron strip adjacent said edge thereof, and means carried by the supporting strip for slidably guiding the other terminal of said spring within said rabbet, the supporting strip having a narrow slot adjacent said rabbet, and the last mentioned terminal of the spring having a portion working in said slot to prevent the rotation of said terminal.

3. In a device of the character described, a supporting strip having a rabbet, an apron strip hinged to the supporting strip and having an. edge to swing into said rabbet, an approximately straight torsional spring having one end engaged non-rotatably with the apron strip adjacent said edge thereof,

said spring being disposed within said rabbet, the supporting strip having a longitudinal slot above the rabbet, and a guide element carried by the supporting strip below said slot, i the other terminal of saic spring being slidable through said guide element and having an upwardly projecting eye slidable insaid slot to prevent the rotation of said terminal.

In testimony that as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of a witness.

JOHN .W. HENRY. Witness:

ANDREW N. FOLEY.

I claim the foregoing sting the Commissioner of Patents, 

